Preparing for Day 1 of Kindergarten
The first day of Kindergarten is just around the corner. While this is a great time to relax and enjoy some fun family time, it is also a good time to start preparing for your child’s first year at school.
Here are some tips to help prepare your little one for a happy first day of school and to also help prepare yourself with this exciting transition.
1. Visit the school: By now you may have already visited the school a number of times. Your child may have attended orientation visits. These school holidays leave a long break from the last time they visited the school until their first day. Try to find time during this holiday period to drive or walk past the school and keep them excited about starting school and familiar with the surroundings.
2. Create a morning routine: Now is a good time to slowing establish a consistent morning routine to ease into what it will be like every morning getting ready for school. This may include a regular going to bed and waking up time, practicing getting dressed independently and having breakfast.
3. Organising school belongings: In preparation for school you will need to organise a comfortable backpack, a lunch box, drink bottle, and school supplies suggested by your school. Now is a good time to start ticking these items off your list and getting them ready by labelling all items ready for use. Involve your child in choosing some of their belongings where possible, they will feel more excited to use them when day 1 comes around.
4. What should I pack in their lunchbox: Now is a great time to do some research on healthy lunchbox meals and snacks. Talk to your child about the foods they would like to eat. Give your child an opportunity to practice using their lunchbox and learning about how to open and close it.
5. Talk about feelings: take some time to discuss with your child how they are feeling about starting school. Reassure them that it’s okay to feel nervous, but that they will be okay and school will be lots of fun. Show enthusiasm about this exciting journey and they will pick up on your positive attitude.
6. Play kindergarten at home: While at home playing with your child, find opportunities to role-play scenarios similar to what they will experience in Kindergarten. Such scenarios may include making new friends in the playground, listening to a story in the classroom. Role play is a great way for your child to become more familiar with the experience of school before starting.
7. Making friends: making new friends can be a big worry for both child and parent when it comes to starting school. Now is a good time to connect with other parents who have children starting kindergarten at the same school. If going to a local school, you may connect with families in your neighborhood or at the local parks. If your child’s school is further away, you might look into connecting with other parents via social media and school groups. If you have concerns about your child making friends and socialising, try to expose them to social situations to get them used to being around other children. At Sage, we do the work for you! We gather information from families with children going off to school and detail which schools children will be attending. We support families to network with each other in preparation for the big transition.
At sage, we help children and families prepare for a smooth transition to starting kindergarten. Whether it be our school excursions, family information evenings, or our ongoing school readiness programs, we are experts in assisting prepare for your school journey.
We hope these tips will help guide you in getting ready for the next chapter for your child. It is normal to feel a range of emotions leading up to the big day. Remember to remain positive and your child will follow your lead.
